SSDRC

Filing an Application for Disability Benefits

Social Security Disability List of Impairments

Social Security Disability and SSI Back pay

Social Security Disability Status

SSI Disability Benefits

Social Security Disability and SSI Requirements

Social Security, SSI, and Mental Disability

How Long Does It Take To Get Disability Benefits?

Qualifying: What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability?

Cirrhosis, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits

For more information on: Social Security Disability and SSI Disability.

Cirrhosis is a liver disease that is mostly commonly caused by hepatitis C or alcoholism, though it does have other causes, such as prolonged exposure to drugs and toxins. Cirrhosis happens when the tissues of the liver are replaced by scar tissue and nodules that are created when damaged tissue is regenerated. This causes fluid retention in the abdominal cavity, blockage of the flow of blood to the liver and ultimately, loss of liver function. Confusion and coma can result, as well as esophageal bleeding. Cirrhosis can be life threatening. In advanced stages, a liver transplant may be necessary. The liver is the largest organ in the body and is necessary for ongoing body function. You cannot live without a healthy, functioning liver. It is estimated that 27,000 people a year die from cirrhosis, making it the tenth leading cause of death. Cirrhosis has a ten-year mortality rate of around 50 percent.

There are several signs of the disease, though some people may not exhibit any signs or symptoms at all. Nausea, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite and exhaustion may plague some sufferers. Others may experience abdominal pain, nail changes, jaundice, gallstones, a musty odor in their breath, weight loss or ‘spider veins’ appearing on the skin. As the disease progresses there may be more signs and complications, such as itching, trouble concentrating, sensitivity to medications, easy bruising and bleeding and liver tumors.

Clinical, laboratory and radiologic tests, as well as an ultrasound, can help determine cirrhosis of the liver, but if those data do not diagnosis, a liver biopsy may be needed. A liver biopsy consists of the doctor taking a liver sample with a needle and studying it under a microscope for a wide variety of signs of liver cirrhosis. The most common way to determine cirrhosis is by liver biopsy.

Cirrhosis of the liver cannot be reversed, though there are many treatments and lifestyle changes available to delay further complications. Antibiotics will be prescribed if there is infection. Laxatives may help constipation. Other medications may help itching and other symptoms of cirrhosis. Patients will be advised to eat a healthy diet, abstain from alcohol and acetaminophen and to restrict their salt intake.

When the liver becomes so damaged that it stops working properly, a liver transplant may be needed. A liver transplant is a when the patient gets their liver removed and replaced with a healthy, functioning liver. Liver transplants are improving with new medications, though survival rate is still only around eighty percent.